Silver Belles

It was another typical school day at Ponyville High as students could be seen making their daily commute to class. Ponies were either on their way to their first class, standing by their lockers conversing with friends, or putting things into their locker. Sweetie Belle was busy getting things out of her locker and putting them in her backpack. Her backpack was stuffed with sheets of homework from her various classes, as well as a few textbooks. She found it a little unfair that this was only their third day of school and she already had a mountain of homework to do. But she knew that things always picked up after the first few days so there was no use complaining. She let out a heavy sigh as she lowered her head.

"Time for another day of torment at the hands of Silver Spoon. Better prep myself for it." She thought to herself bitterly.

She was about to close her locker when she saw Silver Spoon out the corner of her eye.

"Speak of the devil and she shall appear."

Not wanting to meet her gaze, she put her head in her locker and pretended to rummage around for something. Her ears perked up when she heard a second pair of footsteps accompanying Silver Spoon's. She assumed it was most likely Diamond Tiara but she didn't want to look to see if her assumption was right. She continued to hide her face and look busy as Silver Spoon walked past her. Once she had, Sweetie Belle removed her head from her locker and looked in her direction. She saw that it was Diamond Tiara who was walking with her, their arms joined together.

"I knew it." Sweetie Belle muttered to herself.

But then she saw something that left her a bit puzzled. She witnessed them stop in front of a random filly and start a conversation with her. Sweetie Belle was too far away to know exactly what they were saying, but she could tell by their body language that something was amiss. Diamond Tiara did most of the talking while Silver Spoon just stood there, clinging to her arm like a frightened child. She also noticed that Silver Spoon looked very despondent, as if she had something weighing on her mind. Diamond Tiara shared in Silver Spoon's sadness as she too had a crestfallen expression adorning her facial features. Sweetie Belle continued to watch from afar as ponies swerved past her and went about their day. It was then that the filly appeared to ask Silver Spoon about something very personal because it caused Silver Spoon to clutch Diamond Tiara's arm closer to her chest as she looked down at the floor. Diamond Tiara answered for her and the filly nodded as a way of accepting Diamond Tiara's reply.

"What's up with those two today?" Sweetie Belle asked herself silently.

The pair then departed and made their way down the hall with Sweetie Belle following closely behind them. Her curiosity was peaked by what she just saw and she wanted to investigate into this matter a little further. They soon stopped in front of the door to Leadwing's class where Diamond Tiara spoke to Silver Spoon discretely. Luckily, Sweetie Belle had enough distance between herself and them to where she would be able to listen in on them without being too close.

"Do you think you'll okay by yourself for a little while?" She asked in a hushed tone.

"Yeah, I think I can manage." Silver Spoon replied as she let go of Diamond Tiara's arm.

"Alright. I'll see you at lunch." Diamond Tiara remarked before she took her leave.

Silver Spoon knocked on the door and entered the classroom once Leadwing opened the door for her. Sweetie Belle was left scratching her head as she tried to piece together the situation that played out before her just moments ago.

"What was that all about?" She said quietly before walking up to the classroom door and knocking on it loudly.

"Alright class, our first few weeks will be dedicated to covering famous poets." Leadwing announced. "Can anypony name a few famous poets?"

A colt who was seated in the front raised his hand.

"Ah yes. Name one."

"Filly Wap." He responded.

Leadwing gave the colt a look of uncertainty while running a hand through his mane. "Well, technically speaking, musical artists do count as poets in a way." He admitted. "But I'm looking for something more along the lines of a TRADITIONAL poet."

Zipporwhill raised her hand to answer his previous question.

"Zipporwhill." He said as he pointed to her.

"Whinny Whitman." She replied.

"Yes, that's a good one." Leadwing complemented.

Featherweight raised his hand.

"Featherweight." Leadwing called on him.

"Shel Silverstallion." He answered.

"Yes, another great one." Leadwing nodded.

Sweetie Belle raised her hand so that she could give an answer as well.

"Sweetie Belle." Leadwing said as he pointed to her.

"Edgar Allen Pony." She replied.

"Yes. Thank you all for your input because those were all good examples." He praised them.

Sweetie Belle then tuned out what Leadwing was saying as she turned her head to check up on Silver Spoon. Her attention had been focused on the window ever since class started. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that Silver Spoon wasn't simply staring out the window but rather gazing at the sky. She just sat there, barely blinking as she her eyes stayed transfixed on the heavens above. She appeared to have a sort of mournful expression on her face as if she had lost something dear to her. Sweetie Belle could only stare at Silver Spoon with a combination of amazement and bewilderment for this wasn't like Silver Spoon at all. She was usually much more focused and aware. It was starting to make Sweetie Belle worry about her. Her behavior as of late was proving to be quite peculiar. But she shook her head and went back to listening to the teacher, figuring that there was no clause for concern just yet.

The cafeteria was flooded with students as they scampered about and occupied the empty tables. Sweetie Belle and her friends were enjoying their lunch in peace as per usual. Scootaloo used her straw to suck some tomato soup through it. Once it was full, she then pressed her thumb to the end of it to hold the liquid inside. She then proceeded to jab the straw to her throat and released her thumb off the end of the straw, allowing all the soup inside to pour out of it. She then made a loud gurgling sound while letting her tongue droop out the side of her mouth and rolling her eyes into the back of her head as the soup spilled back into her bowl. Apple Bloom broke into a fit of laughter at Scootaloo's joke. Sweetie Belle playfully rolled her eyes and shook her head at this display.

"Geez, Scoots. How old are you?" Sweetie Belle asked with a delightful smirk.

"5 1/2" Scootaloo responded with a cheesy grin.

This caused all 3 of them to burst into hysteric laughter. It had been ages since they had fun like that so it felt very cathartic to them. Once their laughter had died down, Sweetie Belle looked at an adjacent table and noticed that Silver Spoon was barely eating. She looked at her tomato soup sorrowfully as she swirled it around in the bowl with her spoon. Sweetie Belle could feel that sense of worry she had earlier coming back to her swiftly. She was starting to feel bad for her.

"Have you girls noticed that Silver Spoon is acting strange lately?" She asked her friends.

"Strange how?" Apple Bloom replied.

"Well, just look at her." Sweetie Belle said, gesturing to Silver Spoon. "She's been wearing that glum face ever since this morning."

"Why does it matter to you?" Scootaloo questioned.

"Because I'm worried about her." Sweetie Belle responded sincerely. "I know that sounds weird coming from me but it's true."

"I get where yer coming from, Belle." Apple Bloom followed. "Ya got a thing fer worryin bout a pony even if ya don't particularly care fer em."

Sweetie Belle nodded in response. She then looked back at Silver Spoon with a kindred expression. Silver Spoon leaned over and whispered something to Diamond Tiara before she got up from the table and went to go dump her tray.

"I hope she's feeling okay." Sweetie Belle said to herself as she watched Silver Spoon exit the cafeteria.

The gymnasium was live with activity as ponies went about getting their daily exercise for the day. The school had enforced a rule that stated that anypony who had signed up for P.E. was required to wear gym clothes during class. Boys had to wear a white T-shirt and basketball shorts, while girls had to wear a black T-shirt with basketball shorts. But the students didn't mind this because it was only fair since they were going to be active for this period, so they would at least be comfortable while they moved around. They were playing kickball today and students were very thankful for it. The score was 7-4. Rumble's team was taking the lead but Twist's team had an opportunity to make a comeback because it was their turn to kick. Twist took her position behind home plate as she prepared herself to kick the ball. Rumble, being the pitcher, gave her a cocky smile while he bounced the ball a couple of times.

"Don't go easy on me just because I'm a girl." She exhorted with a sly grin.

Rumble merely returned the sentiment with a crafty smile of his own. "I don't plan to." He said before pulling his right arm back and rolling the ball with great force. Twist had anticipated this and was ready to take action. She brought her left hoof back and planted it firmly on the ground. Once the ball was within range, she swung her left hoof forward and kicked the ball with all her might, causing it to soar through the air. Ponies in the back shifted left and right to try and guess where the ball was gonna go. While they did this, Twist took off towards first base. A colt who was in the outfield attempted to catch the ball, but it slipped through his fingers. He then quickly scrambled to recover it. Twist made it to first base but continued to run since they didn't have the ball yet. The colt eventually got his hands on the ball and hiked it to Sweetie Belle, who was playing second base. Twist showed off a surprising amount of agility as she rolled forward in an effort to make it to second base in time. Sweetie Belle caught the ball and went to tag Twist with it, but Twist's right hoof touched the base a split second before Sweetie Belle tagged her with it.

"Safe!" Thunderlane declared.

This was meet with cheers from her teammates and groans from the opposing team members. After capturing second base, Twist got up off the floor and dusted herself off. She then shot Sweetie Belle a toothy grin.

"Close, but no cigar." She stated with an air of confidence.

"Whatever. You made it by the skin of your teeth." Sweetie Belle replied light-heartedly as she threw the ball back to Rumble.

The next one to kick was Sunny Daze. She graciously walked up to the home plate and took an expectant stance. Rumble rolled the ball to her with rapid speed. Sunny Daze kicked the ball forcefully and it trailed high above the other team's heads. It flew over the basketball goal on the other side of the gym and bounced off the wall, signifying a home run. Twist's team jumped for joy as Twist and Sunny Daze rounded the bases. Rumble and his team, on the other hand, were least than pleased with this turn of events. The two girls were congratulated and praised as their teammates high fived them for their accomplishment.

"It's alright team, we're still in the lead." Rumble reminded them as he spun the ball in his hands.

The next pony to kick was Silver Spoon. She made it blatantly obvious that she didn't want to participate as she gingerishly walked up to the home plate and stood as straight as a pole. Rumble noticed her body language and decided to take advantage of it.

"Easy out!" He publicized to his team.

His team members took the hint and moved in slightly. Despite her melancholy attitude, she took offense to that statement and decided to prove them wrong. Rumble rolled the her a fast ball, as he had to her teammates. Silver Spoon brought her left hoof back at the last moment and kicked the ball with all the strength she could muster. She kicked the ball in such a way that it zoomed through the air at a 20 degree angle. Pipsqueak, who was in the outfield, put up his hands to try and catch the ball. Unfortunately, he ended up getting hit in the chest with the ball instead. The impact knocked the wind out of his lungs as he hit the floor with a loud thud. He laid there, sprawled out on the gymnasium floor while greedily sucking air into his lungs. Rumble walked up and grabbed the ball, shaking his head at Pipsqueak while he did.

"Keep your eye on the ball next time." Rumble advised him before running off with the ball in his hands.

"Asshole." Pipsqueak wheezed as he picked himself off the floor.

Silver Spoon had already stolen first base and was nearing second when Rumble coming running towards her with the ball.

"Get her out, Sweetie Belle!" Rumble encouraged as he threw the ball to her.

Sweetie Belle caught the ball when Silver Spoon was a few feet away from the base. She held the ball out in front of her, waiting for Silver Spoon to run into it. She had expected Silver Spoon to either slow down or halt herself completely at the threat of being gotten out. But to her surprise, Silver Spoon didn't slow down. In fact, she seemed to be sprinting at Sweetie Belle faster than she was previously. A couple seconds later, Silver Spoon collided with Sweetie Belle at almost full force, sending them both crashing onto the hard gym floor. The other students, as well as Thunderlane, quickly gathered around them to see if they were okay. Silver Spoon was the first one to recover as she sat up and rubbed the left side of her head. She looked up and noticed that Thunderlane was staring at her sternly. She turned her eyes to the floor and twiddled her fingers for she knew she was in trouble.

"I think we're playing the wrong sport today. We must be since you felt the need to knock Sweetie Belle down like we're playing football." Thunderlane deduced as he folded his arms in front of himself.

"I'm sorry coach." She apologized. "I wasn't paying attention."

"You can't afford to be reckless like that." He informed her. "You could've seriously injured Sweetie Belle if you weren't careful. And the school would hold me accountable for it because it happened under my watch."

Silver Spoon paused for a few moments before she asked Thunderlane a question. "You don't know what today is, do you?" She asked him in a depressed tone.

"I don't believe I do. Care to enlighten me?" He remarked.

Silver Spoon then gestured for him to come closer. Once he did, she whispered what she needed to say into his ear. Upon learning the new set of information, Thunderlane was left with a stunned expression on his face. He couldn't believe what he just heard. He was completely silent for a minute or two before he spoke.

"Head to the locker room. You're done for the day." He instructed as he ran a hand through his mane.

Silver Spoon did as she was told and got up off the floor before heading towards the exit.

"Now, the rest of you, get back to it! Class isn't over yet." He ordered them.

The other students moaned and groaned as they took their positions back on the field. Some them went on to complain about how it was unfair that Silver Spoon got to leave early and they didn't. But the one pony who was actually concerned about her situation was Sweetie Belle. She watched curiously as Silver Spoon entered the locker room. She was certain that something was wrong with Silver Spoon, and she was going to find out exactly what it was.

A faint sniffing sound could be hear coming from deep within the girl's locker room. The source was none other than Silver Spoon as she sat on one of the benches in the room and faced the east wall as she silently sobbed to herself. It was hard to discern the reason for her crying, but it must have been a good one since she wasn't known for shedding tears in public. She preferred to keep her emotions to herself when in the presence of somepony else. But if she's alone or with Diamond Tiara, then she has no problem letting it all out. Since she was still at school, she knew there was always the possibility of somepony walking in and seeing her weep, so she tried her best to cry as quietly as she could. But her efforts were in vain because in the midst of her sobbing, she heard the locker room door open. She quickly straightened up as she lifted up her glasses and wiped her tears away. Once she had composed herself, she turned to see who had come to check up on her. She rolled her eyes upon seeing that it turned out to be Sweetie Belle.

"It's just you." She said dismissively as she turned her head back towards the wall. "What do you want?"

"Answers." Sweetie Belle replied in a bold manner. "Why did you try to mow me down earlier?"

"Ugh. I'm you really wanna know: I thought I saw something out the corner of my eye, but it turned out to be nothing." Silver Spoon answered while giving Sweetie Belle an annoyed look. "By the time I realized that, it was too late to stop myself."

"No, there's more to it than that." Sweetie Belle reasoned. "I know for a fact that there's a bigger reason behind your actions."

"No, there isn't." Silver Spoon denied forcefully.

"Are you sure? Because your tone is leading me to believe that you're clearly upset about something." Sweetie Belle concluded.

"I'm not upset! What's there to be upset about!?" Silver Spoon shouted out of anger.

Sweetie Belle jumped back slightly at Silver Spoon's sudden outburst but continued to try and level with her. "If something is bothering you, you can talk to me about it. I'm more than happy to lend you an ear."

Silver Spoon ran a hand down her face, clearly getting more frustrated the longer this conversation dragged on. "Let me spell this out for you: I. Don't. Want. Your. Help." She stated in an agitated tone.

"I'm just trying to find out what's wrong with you. Why are you being so defensive?" Sweetie Belle remarked in a caring manner.

"Why are you being such a pest?" Silver Spoon answered with a question of her own. "I can deal with this by myself. Besides, it's none of your business anyway."

"I'm only trying to help. I don't know why you're trying so hard to push-"

"I said it's none of your fucking business!" Silver Spoon blurted out, but gasped once she realized what she said.

Sweetie Belle was blown completely away by that remark. She was use to hearing swears from Scootaloo (and occasionally Apple Bloom), but she never thought she would hear such vile words spew from Silver Spoon's mouth. Her outburst left the both of them utterly speechless as they stood there and stared at each other with genuine shock. After about a minute of silence, Sweetie Belle decided to speak up.

"Such vulgarity." She lambasted, mirroring her older sister. "Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"I WOULD IF I HAD ONE!" Silver Spoon screamed at the top of her lungs.

That statement alone was enough to shatter Sweetie Belle's mind. Time seemed to move in slow motion as Sweetie Belle attempted to process what Silver Spoon just said. The words rang loudly through her head as the phrase repeated itself over and over again in her mind. Once her brain had fully repaired itself, she could only clutch her chest as she felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach. She attempted to talk but when she moved her lips, no words came out; Only hissing breath. Even if she could speak, what would she say? By this point, no amount of comforting words could grant Silver Spoon some solace in this situation. A few moments later, Silver Spoon finally broke down and threw herself on the floor, crying loudly as she did. Now that her secret was out, there was no use hiding behind a facade of bravery. She sobbed freely as her tears fell onto the locker room floor. Sweetie Belle knelt down and attempted to put a hand on Silver Spoon's shoulder, only for Silver Spoon to fling herself at Sweetie Belle and throw her arms around Sweetie Belle's waist, causing them both to fall on the floor. Silver Spoon laid there on top of Sweetie Belle as she held her close, weeping into Sweetie Belle's chest. Sweetie Belle, being a little embarrassed by this form of contact, was about to move Silver Spoon's head down slightly but stopped herself. She figured it best to just let her have this and cry to her hearts content. Silver Spoon continued to cry profusely as Sweetie Belle rubbed her back in an attempt to calm her down some. A few minutes later, her flood of tears had finally ceased.

"Feel better now?" Sweetie asked her warmly.

She sniffled before responding. "A little bit." She nodded.

Sweetie Belle sat upright and scooted towards one of the lockers before gesturing for Silver Spoon to come over. Silver Spoon accepted as she crawled over to Sweetie Belle and sat down on her lap before wrapping her arms Sweetie Belle's waist again. Sweetie returned the gesture as she wrapped her arms around Silver Spoon.

"I'm willing to listen if you're willing to talk about it." She apprised.

"Okay." Silver Spoon nodded. "My parents have been dead for 6 years now. They were killed in a stagecoach accident. The stallion who was driving them had gotten a bit too drunk. He ended up crashing into the side of a house, completely destroying the west wall. This caused the whole house to collapse in on itself and crush the ponies inside. There were no survivors. What was left of my parents and the stallion had to be cleaned up with a mop. I'll never forget that faithful day when the police told me that my parents weren't coming back. I must've cried for 4 days straight. Then Filthy Rich adopted me and let me live with him and Diamond Tiara. That's why I was clinging so closely to Diamond Tiara today. She and Filthy Rich have been helping me cope with my parents death. I don't think I would've been able to make it up the front steps this morning if it weren't for Diamond Tiara supporting me. They've been so good to me these last few years. Taking me in when I had no where else to go and showing me nothing but love and compassion. They're the only ponies that I can call my family. I just don't know what I would do if they passed away too!" She ended her last sentence on a fearful note as she squeezed Sweetie Belle tightly, feeling herself on the verge of tears again.

"It's okay, they're not going anywhere." Sweetie Belle inspirited as she patted Silver Spoon on the back.

"Are you sure?" Silver Spoon choked out, trying desperately to hold back her sobs.

"Positive." Sweetie Belle nodded.

Silver Spoon took off her glasses and wiped her eyes before putting them back on. "Thank you Sweetie Belle. You're an angel."

"Just doing what anypony would've done." Sweetie Belle stated with a shrug.

There was another moment of awkward silence before Silver Spoon spoke.

"We don't hate you, Sweetie Belle." Silver Spoon remarked in a factual tone.

"What?" Sweetie Belle asked, raising an eyebrow at Silver Spoon's odd statement.

"Me and Tiara, we don't hate you or your friends." Silver Spoon elucidated.

"Then why are you two always heckling us?" Sweetie Belle asked while eyeing Silver Spoon suspiciously.

"Because....we're jealous of your friendship." Silver Spoon confessed.

"Jealous of our friendship?" Sweetie Belle repeated, still not getting what Silver Spoon was trying to convey.

"You 3 are so close that you're practically sisters." Silver Spoon began. "Always traveling as a pack, always helping yourselves and anypony else who needs it, always displaying why you're all so inseparable. It made me and Tiara envious of you 3."

"Why though?" Sweetie Belle questioned. "Aren't you and Diamond Tiara pretty close as well."

"Yeah, but we have more of a symbiotic relationship." Silver Spoon revealed. "Filthy Rich allowed me to live with him and Diamond Tiara, so I stick by Diamond Tiara's side and stay loyal to her."

"That sounds kinda harsh." Sweetie Belle commented in an uneasy tone.

"It's actually not as bad as it sounds." Silver Spoon said with an upbeat expression. "Me and Tiara consider each other as equals. Nothing more, nothing less. But it's plain to see that the relationship that you, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom share is mutual. You treat each other like family."

"You've got that right." Sweetie Belle agreed.

"Like I was saying earlier, me and Tiara don't hold any contempt towards you or your friends." Silver Spoon continued her earlier statement. "The reason we pick on you is because we were brought up to believe it as our birthright. See, Me and DT come from a life of luxury. As kids, we were taught that anypony who wasn't rich was below us and considered to be nothing more than a stepping stone. For many years, we've lived by that philosophy. I won't even attempt to try and count how many ponies we bullied because I know it was a lot. I just hope you and the other ponies we've pushed around all these years can find a way to forgive us."

"So if you don't actually hate us, then we do you still keep messing with us?" Sweetie Belle asked, desperately wanting a proper answer.

"When you do something enough times, it tends to become a habit." Silver Spoon stated with a shrug. "But I guess Me and Tiara can get a little carried away occasionally."

"Occasionally?" Sweetie Belle asked with a skeptical look, detecting that Silver Spoon was lying.

"Ok, a lot." Silver Spoon corrected herself. "But it doesn't change the fact that we still like you girls."

"Thanks, I guess." Sweetie Belle remarked with uncertainty.

"Actually, you're my favorite out of the bunch Sweetie Belle." Silver Spoon divulged. "You're the unofficial leader of your group and show it in spades. You're strong, determined, caring, and loyal to your friends. Not to mention the fact that you're not so bad to look at." She finished her sentence with a slight blush.

"What do you mean by that?" Sweetie Belle asked as she blushed slightly as well.

"I mean that you're cute." Silver Spoon clarified with a smile.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I like you Sweetie Belle." Silver Spoon replied.

"As a friend?" Sweetie Belle questioned.

"I like you this much:" Silver Spoon said before she placed her hands on the sides of Sweetie Belle's face and kissed her on the lips.

For a second time that day, Sweetie Belle's mind stopped working for a while. She didn't know how to react to this. Her body froze up completely as if paralyzed by Silver Spoon's lips. She couldn't will her body to move even if she wanted to. She was left sitting there with Silver Spoon on her lap as she kissed her on the lips long and passionately. There was a soft smack as Silver Spoon's lips finally parted from Sweetie Belle's. Silver Spoon had a look of pure satisfaction on her face as she looked deep into Sweetie Belle's eyes. Sweetie Belle still couldn't understand what had just happened even moments after it happened. Silver Spoon giggled at Sweetie Belle's silence.

"I'm going to assume that was your first kiss wasn't it?" Silver Spoon asked with a gleeful smirk.

"Ye-yeah. It was." Sweetie Belle responded.

"I feel special now that I know that I was your first." Silver Spoon enthused as she nuzzled Sweetie Belle's face.

"Yeah." Sweetie Belle nodded.

"Do you feel the same way about me?" Silver Spoon asked abruptly.

Sweetie Belle looked all around the room as she contemplated her answer. She didn't want to hurt Silver Spoon's feelings by saying no, but she also didn't want to lie and say yes. Eventually, she came to a decision.

"Honestly....I....don't feel the same way." Sweetie Belle answered while shaking her head.

"Oh, well alright then." Silver Spoon said in a disappointed tone as she looked at the floor. "Thanks for being honest with me." She added as she got off of Sweetie Belle's lap.

But right as she was about to stand up, Sweetie Belle pulled her back onto her lap.

"Sweetie Belle?"

"You didn't let me finish." Sweetie Belle explained. "I don't feel the same way but I'm willing to give it a try." She said before she planted a kiss on Silver Spoon's cheek.

"You truly are my special somepony." Silver Spoon stated as she layed her head on top of Sweetie Belle's.

"And you're mine." Sweetie Belle replied as she nuzzled Silver Spoon's neck.

They sat there in each other's embrace with complete silence between them until Silver Spoon spoke up.

"Shouldn't we heading back to the gym?" Silver Spoon asked, worried that they could get in trouble for staying in the locker room for too long.

"Nah, it's cool." Sweetie Belle replied as she waved her right hand dismissively. "Thunderlane told me that we could stay in the locker room for as long as we need to."

"Good. Because I'd rather stay here, wrapped in your arms instead of playing kickball anyway." Silver Spoon commented.

They stayed like this until they heard the school bell ring, signaling the end of gym class. They quickly broke away from each other and went to their respective lockers. As they slipped out of their gym clothes and back into their school clothes, they couldn't help look back at each other occasionally and blush, reflecting fondly on their first kiss.